Biography about man who delivered thousands of Milton Keynes babies gets rave reviews

'The Professor and I' chronicles the remarkable life of Chris Lynch, who was one of the founding fathers of the gynaecological ward at MK hospital.

A consultant obstetrician and gynaecological surgeon, he steered countless local women safely through their pregnancies, often delivering their babies at the end.

He was never to be seen without a smile on his face and a flower in the buttonhole of his suit.

Written by Nana Ofori-Atta Oguntola, the book describes how Professor l.ynch started his working life as a porter in a paint factory in his native Sierra Leone while taking a correspondence course to achieve his A Levels.

He arrived in England with just a few pounds to his name and won a scholarship to Oxford University.

After qualifying, unable to find a job in England or return to Sierra Leone, he worked temporarily at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, making plaster moulds for dental students.

The book describes the racism Professor Lynch encountered throughout career, though his mantra of ‘tread softly among the tulips’ meant he never confronted it.

It provides a commentary on the treatment of black professionals in the UK and presents Professor Lynch as man devoted to knowledge and research and equipping a new generation of doctors to excel.

And it tells of the phenomenal rise of man from nothing to the dizzying heights of socialising with the late Princes Diana, working with the Late Margaret Thatcher, dancing with the Queen Mother and being entertained by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley.

Nana said: "The book is a journey into the humanity of a great man who through sheer dint of hard work achieves beyond his wildest dreams and also the sadness of how hollow it can all become when you end up losing the things that actually matter the most to you.

"The Professor and I’ is a roller coaster of emotions where the reader celebrates with the Professor and is saddened by his shortfalls. It is a heartfelt look into the trials, triumphs and weaknesses of the best of us."

Feedback about the book so far includes comments such as: "Made me smile and cry such a lovely read. Thank you."

Another reader wrote: 'I am a Sierra Leonian... With this book, ... I could feel, I could touch the background of his rise to higher heights especially in a country known for bad reasons such as rebel wars and disease. Professor Lynch's story has given hope that people could rise from the dust to higher heights".

A third said: "I got a story about the Professor's childhood in Sierra Leone, of the cultural shock of arriving in 1960s Britain, the challenges of navigating British society with no money to your name... From the story, much of whose details define the experience of London in the 1960s and 1970s. All of these stories are laid out in 'The Professor and I'. I enjoyed the medical thread. I enjoyed the social history thread and I enjoyed the Milton Keynes thread. Many of these elements are particularly resonant now at a time when the nation is reasserting the importance of the medical and caring professions, at a time when the world is reassessing the position and contribution of black lives and at a time when Milton Keynes which has just turned 50 is looking for untold stories in our comparatively short life. So Nana has done a great job in teasing out these elements at a moment when they have never been more needed".

The Professor and I is available on Amazon.